Parjang/ Sundargarh: Forest department officials recovered the carcass of an elephant calf from a paddy field near Damol village under Dihadol forest section of Mahabirod range in Dhenkanal district Thursday.
The officials said the calf might have died Wednesday night.
Local residents, who first spotted the carcass, said a herd of elephants had been roaming around in the forested area for last few days. They had heard trumpets of elephants Wednesday night, suggesting a fight among them. Even though they had informed the forest department about it, the officials had taken it casually and had not turned up.
They alleged that the calf may have come between the fighting jumbos leading to its death.
The forest department officials have sent the carcass for postmortem following which they would bury it.
Meanwhile, in another unrelated incident at Biratola village under Badagaon forest range of Sundargarh district, forest officials and fire brigade personnel rescued an elephant from an abandoned well.
Here too the villagers first spotted the animal inside the abandoned well. They immediately reported the incident to the forest department. Later, forest officials including Sundargarh assistant conservator of forest (ACF) reached the spot. They, in turn, sought the help of fire services department. The operation to get the pachyderm out of the well too hours.
PNN